Chronic wounds have a complicated pathophysiology. Usually, intervention in wound healing is focused on different aspects of this pathophysiology. During use of known bandages in treating chronic wound interaction occurs with respect to different aspects, such as modulating metalloproteinase, optimizing moisture and controlling of infection.
However, no evidence has been found indicating that such interventions have much effect. This might be due to the fact that such interventions are focused on merely one or a few pathophysiological aspects of chronic wounds.
A vacuum assisted closure (VAC) that is known from e.g. International patent publication WO 00/59424 interferes with multiple pathophysiological aspects of chronic wounds. A VAC comprises a hydrophilic body to be placed on a wound surface for receiving drained moisture of the wound, a cover sealing the hydrophilic body and a skin portion surrounding the wound surface, and a vacuum system for generating an underpressure in a closure space limited by the wound surface, the skin portion surrounding the wound surface and the cover.
It has been found that wound-stimulating agents, such as nutrition, growing stimulating materials and/or medicines, e.g. antibiotics, may have a beneficial effect during wound healing. As a disadvantage, it has also been found that it is very difficult to supply wound-stimulating agents to the wound, as inserted agents are immediately sucked away due to the underpressure in the closure space.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.
The figures are merely schematic views of a preferred embodiment according to the invention. In the figures, the same reference numbers refer to equal or corresponding parts.